Sunny, a mystery thriller with a darkly comic bent starring Rashida Jones and a robot, quickly became one of the most popular shows on streaming after premiering on Apple TV+ earlier in July.
But it’s not even the most-watched Apple series. That honor belongs to the crime drama Presumed Innocent, which has drawn a big audience for weeks.
Sunny on Apple TV+ is among the most popular series on streaming
Not everything on Apple TV+ becomes popular — The Big Door Prize was recently cancelled, for example. But nevertheless, the streaming service almost always has a series or film drawing loads of attention from viewers.
Its latest success is Sunny. Despite the name, it echoes dark film noir detective shows of the past, and follows a woman searching for her husband and son who are missing and possibly dead. Her companion is a creepy robot named Sunny that has secrets of its own.
The premise of the new show is interesting enough to put the thriller at No. 3 on Reelgood’s list of Top 10 TV shows on streaming during the week ending July 17. And it’s at No. 5 on JustWatch‘s own list of top streaming shows for the week ending July 14.
Charts: JustWatch/Reelgood
Estimates from companies like JustWatch and Reelgood are necessary because streaming services rarely reveal how many people tune in to their offerings.
Critics like it, too. The Apple TV+ sci-fi series earned a 89% approval rating from Rotten Tomatoes.
If the immediate popularity of Sunny has you interested, Apple’s teaser says:
Sunny stars Jones as Suzie, an American woman living in Kyoto, Japan, whose life is upended when her husband and son disappear in a mysterious plane crash. As “consolation” she’s given Sunny, one of a new class of domestic robots made by her husband’s electronics company. Though at first, Suzie resents Sunny’s attempts to fill the void in her life, gradually they develop an unexpected friendship. Together they uncover the dark truth of what really happened to Suzie’s family and become dangerously enmeshed in a world Suzie never knew existed.
The 10-episode series premiered globally on Apple’s streaming service on Wednesday, July 10, 2024. The first three episodes are available now, and Apple TV+ will release new episodes every Wednesday through September 4.
Presumed Innocent starring Jake Gyllenhaal holds onto its audience again
A careful look at the top-ten charts shows that Presumed Innocent pulls a bigger audience than Sunny — but that’s not big news because the crime drama has been popular ever week since it debuted on June 12.
Most recently, it was at No. 2 on ReelGood’s most recent lists of most popular Top 10 TV shows on streaming, and at No. 3 on JustWatch’s equivalent list.
On the off chance you’re not already watching, Apple’s teaser says:
“The gripping series takes viewers on a journey through the horrific murder that upends the Chicago Prosecuting Attorney’s office when chief deputy prosecutor Rusty Sabich (Gyllenhaal) is suspected of the crime. The series explores obsession, sex, politics and the power and limits of love, as the accused fights to hold his family and marriage together.”
Seven episodes of Presumed Innocent are available now. The eighth will reach Apple’s streaming service on Wednesday — and that’s the season finale.
Watch these and more on Apple TV+
Watching Sunny and Presumed Innocent plus many other series or films comes with a subscription to Apple TV+. The service is $9.99 per month with a seven-day free trial. You can also get it via any tier of the Apple One subscription bundle.
And Apple’s streaming video service also includes much more, of course. There’s a library of drama, comedies, musicals, children’s shows, nature documentaries, etc.
Want more tips on what to watch on Apple TV+? Read our guide to the 15 best shows on Apple TV+.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. He’s written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
